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State Representative Cynthia A. Stafford (D-109) and State Senator Dwight Bullard (D-39) Joint Statement On State of the Union Address delivered by President Barack Obama

Posted January 29, 2014

State Representative Cynthia A. Stafford (D-Miami) and State Senator Dwight Bullard (D-Miami) issued the following joint statement in response to last night’s State of the Union address delivered by President Obama as it relates to raising the minimum wage for American workers:

State Representative Cynthia A. Stafford (D-Miami) offered the following remarks: “I commend President Barack Obama on issuing an executive order to finally raise the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour for workers on new federal contracts during his State of the Union speech. Raising the minimum wage will not only lower the unemployment rate, but will also provide economic security for American families. Florida, which represents a large number of unemployed citizens, should follow President Obama’s lead and raise the state minimum wage during the 2014 Regular Session. I am proud to serve as the House sponsor for House Bill 385 State Minimum Wage. If passed, House Bill 385 would raise the state minimum wage to $10.10 per hour and ensure economic security for hard working families in Florida.”

State Senator Dwight Bullard (D-Miami) offered the following remarks: “As we approach the 2014 legislative session, I am asking that all Florida Senators support the efforts to increase the minimum wage in our state. I am sponsoring Senate Bill 456 to increase the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour because this is the right thing to do. This is not about, as critics would say, redistributing wealth. This is not about socialism as other critics would charge. But this is about basic human dignity. This is about paying a man or a woman a living, decent wage - fair wages for helping drive the success of the company. The mindset today is to handsomely reward the CEO - forgetting the many hard working people to whom that success is owed. This bill is the first step in saying 'job well done'."